We might have all found out who killed Jason Blossom in last week’s “Riverdale,” but that’s hardly the only mystery going around in the small town. “Sweet Hereafter” reveals that the drugs Clifford Blossom was smuggling are still out on the streets - with more arriving every day. Who is responsible for the small town suddenly getting a little seedier? And just how will Archie and company deal with the fallout of truths coming to light?
Archie Andrews is a romantic nightmare
Since Archie has already had a failed relationship with his music teacher and a Pussycat, he’s hooked up with Veronica a few times (after rejecting Betty and the two young women agreeing not to pursue him).
It’s Veronica who decides they need to tell Betty, and though everyone walks on eggshells around her, she’s dating Jughead and supposedly fine with it. It’s as soon as Betty appears to be “fine” that Archie gets that typical Archie look on his face and starts to tell her that he “always thought…”
As soon as he gets who he thought he wanted, in this case - Veronica, he decides he wants someone else. Though he denies that’s what it is later and still sleeps with Veronica. What is his deal? Archie has had more romantic entanglements than anyone else on the show, and it’s only the first season! The writers need to pace themselves or they won’t be anyone left in Riverdale for him to date.
No one sees Cheryl’s downward spiral
Not every viewer is going to be as in tune with Cheryl following the death of her father, but the writers don’t even try to be subtle showing her slowly begin to spiral. In addition to apologizing, she starts giving the things important to her away. She starts avoiding the things that she loves.
Cheryl is crying out for help without saying a word and no one even notices until she sends a dramatic text to Veronica.
It’s good that Cheryl has always been on the dramatic side; otherwise, Veronica wouldn’t have thought to drag Archie, Betty, and Jughead with her to save Cheryl from nearly drowning under the ice of Sweetwater River.
Of course, when she can’t use ice to end her life, Cheryl decides to use fire to be reborn and burn the family home to the ground. It’s a nice nod to the Robert Frost poem “Fire and Ice,” though it might not have been intentional.
Josie and the Pussycats need more love
Yet again, the Pussycats are trotted out for a musical performance and to prop Archie up on the town pedestal. I say this every time they appear on the show, but it has to be repeated: if the writers are going to give Josie and the Pussycats screentime, they deserve their own stories. The actresses deserve the chance to shine as brightly as the rest of the cast. Yes, they are all talented musicians, but the young women are more than just three sets of pipes who want to make it big.
When do we get to hear their stories?
Shots fired in Pop’s
Archie, after spending the night with Veronica, is supposed to meet his dad for breakfast at Pop’s. When he goes to the back to wash his hands, an armed robber comes in and holds Pop up, but winds up shooting Fred Andrews instead.
Interestingly, the voiceover leads us to believe that this isn’t a random act of violence, so who had it out for Fred Andrews? Hiram Lodge? Mrs. Blossom? Someone we haven't met yet? Will Fred survive to season two? Better yet, does this mean every season is going to kick off with a new mystery for us to solve? And what will this mean for Archie if his father does die? Will Molly Ringwald return to the show? Thirty seconds of screentime provide more questions than the entire rest of the episode.
The verdict and what’s next
"Sweet Hereafter" rushed to get to the setup for next season more than anything else, throwing lots of information at the audience, including a town on the verge of imploding and Jughead getting an invite to the Southside Serpents, that it seems like it was more of an effort to tee up a new story than tie up an old one. Nothing was ever even decided about who was selling Clifford's drugs!
3.5 out of 5 stars
“Riverdale” has already been renewed for season two, but we don’t yet know how long we’ll have to wait to meet Hiram Lodge or find out who shot Fred Andrews.
